Friendship or could it be more?
Rachel is one of those people who is often overlooked, she knows how to fade into the background but when she accompanies her best friends brother, Damon, to a TV quiz recording her life starts to change
I loved Rachel, she is walked over by her family but she is also incredibly creative and has a talent for shop windows as well as social media. She is used to being in the background but this Christmas she is determined that things will change and seeing her develop and come out of her shell as the book progressed made her even more of a rounded character and someone I wish I could be like
Damon has struggled in life with his academic family, he instead went in a different direction with his own successful company. It has however impacted on his view of the world and the relationships he has but he has always been fascinated with Rachel and seeing him learn what is important in his life made him a character I could love. He does struggle at times, he isn’t perfect but I think that’s part of his charm and something that works so well for his character
This book looks at what is important in life and how Rachel changes and becomes the person she had only dreamed of being. This is more Rachel’s story but that works so well and what had me hooked, especially as she is a character I could relate to and want to be like
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a romance that challenges the characters and which will draw you into the story

I so enjoyed seeing this old fairytale through todays’s eyes. It was heartwarming and exactly what I wanted/needed to read on a miserable day. So enjoyable I would thoroughly recommend this

This is a wonderful, modern take on a fairytale that most of us will know very well. Set in what is already a magical time of year, this story is full of charm and romance.
I really loved the contemporary take on the characters. They were easily recognisable, however had a unique spin on their personalities.
Rachel has had crush on her best friends brother Damon for many years now, and they certainly feel as though they share a sense of not belonging within their family units. The romance is a slow burner, and as the story progresses and they come to know one another more, they can both no longer deny the feelings that have grown between them.
This was a beautiful, festive romance that was simply lovely lose yourself in.

Cute story with engaging characters and a lovely pace that let you see them fall in love and discover they are perfect for each other. Did feel the ending was a bit rushed - could've done with an epilogue, and I also wanted to see Rachel's whole family get their right comeuppance, but she just wasn't geared that way and I respect that.
Hoping there are more books from this world - I would love to read Celeste's story, for example.
Lovely little read, perfect for a cozy afternoon with a blanket or in the shade by the pool

I love modern fairytales, especially at this time of year and this one is magical and romantic and has a contemporary edge. It's easy to recognise the characters, there's the wicked stepmother, and the two ugly sisters who despite being outwardly glamorous are mean spirited inside.

Rachel doesn't want to cause her father extra stress, but that doesn't stop her having dreams, including her longtime crush on her best friend's brother Damon. Damon doesn't fit in with his family either, and never feels good enough.

The attraction, between Rachel and Damon, simmers gently but grows as they acknowledge their emotional response to each other. There's a fairy godmother who sees what they could be and plenty of evil and magic occurrences as the story plays out. Sensory imagery immerses the reader in this magical tale, and the multi-layered characters are believable.

A lovely story to escape with during the festive holidays.

I received a copy of this book from Mills and Boon via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book.
It was so nice to see both characters grow and for Rachel to really come out of her shell. I would have loved to seen her window displays. I honestly didn't think much of her father and her step family were horrible to her.
I liked her best friend, who is Damon's sister. His family dynamic is quite fun but I would hate to be surrounded by all these academics.

It was a book that transported you to another place and leave you smiling.

Would recommend.

Going through life, not making any ripples, suddenly becomes too ritual. So striking out, asking and holding on with both hands, for what she wants is the new her.

A new romance, with her long yearned for, best friends brother, has them acknowledging the deep attraction they have both recognised, but not acted upon.

With a time limit set by both of them, for a short commitment period that forces them to realise, that where the heart is involved, the head cannot rule the time period.

True love, marriage, commitment and happiness wins through.





With a happy ever after ending in this romantic story of deep emotional connection and love.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Such a festive read

A loosely retelling - great characters and story - a really warm read

Damon and Rachel bring a wonderful festive romance to this story.

Rachel is a modern day cinderella, after her mum dies, her father remarries and she finds herself treated unfairly by her new step mother and siblings but after a chance encounter with Damon she finds herself in the middle of a christmas fling, but will the fling turn into happily ever after?

Both Damon and Rachel bring out the best in each other and make each other realise that they are good people and deserve more.

This christmas fairytale is a lovely read for the festive season

5 Word Review: Love, family, work, passion, Christmas.

So err... Awakening His Shy Cinderella was perfect.

I related to Rachel so much, and I loved that I could see parts of myself in her. Her insecurities and small fears really brought her to life, and I wanted to give her a hug and tell her what an amazing person she is.

Damon is an excellent romantic hero, and I loved how we got to see his own family struggles too. This book is full of complicated and messy family relationships and I loved it.

This story takes the classic Cinderella tropes of an evil step-mother and nasty step-sisters and makes them seem fresh. I could really believe their motivations and it was an excellent layer added to secondary characters. It wasn't so much a Cinderella retelling as a modern interpretation of the story, and instead of a fairy godmother there was a charming hero by Rachel's side.

In terms of festive cheer, Awakening His Shy Cinderella is full of it. I loved the small magics and wonders of Rachel's Christmas window displays, and it invoked memories of Fenwick's Christmas Window as a child and how magical it all felt. I liked the community sense of story in the arcade and even in the big department store.

I want to go to a Victorian Christmas market and drink hot chocolate and listen to a choir sing. I want to string fairylights all around. This book helped me get fully into the festive mood, and I'd love to share the magic.

I received an ARC from the published via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

So Rachel’s Dad married a woman with 2 daughters to give her the family she lost when her Mum died. The Cinderella trope is for me, an utterly irritating one in 2021. I don’t want a heroine who is a victim because she can’t bear to upset her Dad so therefore allows herself to be put down and diminished by the trio of witches he’s brought into the family. Sorry but I am so over stories where the heroine is the victim of abuse by family. It’s not just her stepsisters and step mother who treat Rachel so badly, but even her father fails to realise how she is exploited; and we never even get a satisfactory ‘in your face’ comeuppance!

To make matters worse, Damon also has a family from hell and why on earth he would put up with such horrors, I have no idea.

The scenes with Rachel and Damon were lovely and I liked their journey to a happy ever after. It finished far too quickly and I would have loved an epilogue. Not my cup of tea I’m afraid.

When Rachel's mother died her father fell apart, so he chose to remarry in order to give her a family. However, it didn't quite go according to plan, with her stepmother and stepsisters treating her like another employee at the family department store. Hoping to make her escape from them she just needs to get through the festive season.

Damon is a commitment-phobe, keeping his options open when it comes to work and women. Attending an event with Rachel his sisters best friend they end up at the filming for a New Year's party and kiss as the fake midnight chimes.

What follows is their journey on a Christmas fling, Damon helping her discover her inner voice and ask for things. Whilst she helps Damon understand that just because he's not an academic like the rest of his family he still adds value to the world.

Awakening His Shy Cinderella
By Sophie Pembroke
Pub Date 12 nov 2020
May contain spoilers
This is a beautiful romance between Damien and Racheal the only problem is Damien Racheal best friend brother Celeste and Racheal doesn’t want Celeste two find out about the romance between them so after the first kiss new year eve they decide two have a secret fling and the romance blossoms into a lovely Christmas story. I loved the Christmas market with the wine and roasting chestnut I love the idea that Racheal works at displaying beautiful windows scene in the department store. The Carole singing in the market the romance. This story was beautiful well written and the story was a perfect Christmas read.
I gave the five stars